Glasgow-3

[ld0595]

How's progress with the A380 gate? Last I saw in the middle of December it was just a steel frame and not much else. Presumably still on track for completion in April?

[Asturias56]

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland...-west-47054170

Glasgow Airport bosses have called for urgent action to improve transport links with the city centre.

Managing director Mark Johnston said the airport was the only one of its size in Europe reliant on road access amid worsening congestion on the M8. He is due to meet Scotland's transport secretary this week to press for progress on the issue. It comes as a new report said the airport contributed £1.44bn to the economy and supported 30,000 jobs. The airport consultancy firm York Aviation also said the airport handled £3.5bn in global imports and exports in 2017 and that passenger numbers were projected to almost double from 9.7 million to 17 million a year.

'Something needs to happen'

However, bosses warned that improved transport links were crucial to its future success. The most recent plans to connect Glasgow Airport to the rail network faltered in 2017 amid concern about their economic impact to existing infrastructure. But Mr Johnston told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We're the only airport in Europe that has road as its only means of access. The recent studies have shown that the congestion is only increasing on the M8. We have the funding available through the City Deal, so I think there's a genuine acceptance that something needs to happen." Mr Johnston said he was due to attend a meeting later this week with Transport Secretary Michael Matheson and local council leaders. He added: "There's an acceptance now that something needs to happen. As I say, we're the only airport now without some kind of connectivity like that. We want to grow, we have plans for growth, the M8 is becoming more congested so we need action."

Knock-on effect'

As part of the investment into facilities, £8m is currently being invested to upgrade the airport ahead of Emirates operating a Dubai service - on the world's largest commercial aircraft, the A380 - from April.
A new advanced manufacturing innovation district by the airport is also estimated to create up to 10,000 additional jobs. Two tenants have already been confirmed in the £56m medical manufacturing innovation centre and the £65m national manufacturing institute for Scotland. Finance Secretary Derek Mackay, also MSP for Renfrewshire North and West where the airport is based, said: "Renfrewshire benefits hugely from having Glasgow Airport on our doorstep, forming a vital part of our local community. The economic growth and jobs the airport brings to the local area, and to the wider west of Scotland region, is massive and has had a huge positive knock-on effect throughout Renfrewshire and the surrounding areas."

[CabinCrewe]

17 million? where are they all going to come from.
Barring the A380 now, the report for rail link is identical to that proposed many years ago
Heavy rail had no business case then and I suspect still doesnt

[LOGICAL]

West jet upgrading 5 out of 6 flights this summer to a max8 which is obviously good news in terms of them retaining the route at GLA.

[billyg]

Originally Posted by LOGICAL

West jet upgrading 5 out of 6 flights this summer to a max8 which is obviously good news in terms of them retaining the route at GLA.

Absolutely , increasing capacity at Glasgow rather than starting the much rumoured Edinburgh-Halifax is great news !

[Plane mad 134]

To be honest, its good for Scotland as a whole, same with if Edinburgh got a service as both airports are giving Scotland more seats for people to buy to fly from/to here.

[nighthawk117]

Originally Posted by billyg

Absolutely , increasing capacity at Glasgow rather than starting the much rumoured Edinburgh-Halifax is great news !

It's only an extra 6 seats a flight... not really much to get excited about.

[LOGICAL]

737-700 130 seats. 737-8 174 seats. Not quite sure where the 6 is from?.

[billyg]

Originally Posted by LOGICAL

737-700 130 seats. 737-8 174 seats. Not quite sure where the 6 is from?.

It comes from their thinking that EDI couldn't possibly lose out to Glasgow on anything !

[Plane mad 134]

Billy I can tell you it doesnt really matter if Glasgow gets something and Edinburgh doesnt as I fly and spot from both these airports, therefore it is a gain for Scotland. Also Edinburgh is still a bigger airport and can get routes Glasgow doesn't, although in the same respect Glasgow will get routes that Edinburgh doesn't have, so its a fair split and Im happy that Glasgow have got this increase as it will help the Canada to Scotland traffic and vice versa.

[nighthawk117]

Originally Posted by LOGICAL

737-700 130 seats. 737-8 174 seats. Not quite sure where the 6 is from?.

my mistake - I thought they used the -800s to Glasgow.

[willy wombat]

Going back to the rail link issue, I normally fly into and out off EDI but last summer I had an evening flight from GLA. I had been warned the M8 would be busy so left plenty time but I was amazed at how congested the M8 was and would agree with the view that some sort of rail link, probably light rail, is needed. As an émigré Scot living in SE England who has connections with both the East and the West Coast, I have no axe to grind (other than wanting to be able to use both EDI and GLA with ease) but it does seem to me odd that Edinburgh can massively overspend on half a tram system (and now be talking about building the other half) whereas Glasgow can't get a (light) rail link to the airport. Is there a bias in favour of Edinburgh as it's where the MSPs hang out?

[SWBKCB]

A bias towards the capital city when it comes to spending on public transport infrastructure?

Surely not...

[gghdev]

Originally Posted by willy wombat

Is there a bias in favour of Edinburgh as it's where the MSPs hang out?

It’s worth remembering that local transport initiatives are driven by the councils, not the government. If Glasgow City Council wanted to take forward a tram project, it could certainly attempt to do as Edinburgh did, by seeking the powers and the finance.

By contrast, it’s Transport Scotland, an angency of the Scottish Government, that promotes projects related to the rail network, and it’s the Scottish Government that cancelled both EARL and GARL. The SNP Government were also hostile towards the Edinburgh Trams project, I think it’s fair to say. So, I definitely don’t think the Government have any sort of Edinburgh bias — the idea in itself it’s just an easy way for certain folks to play victim.

[inOban]

I thought most of the funding for the tram came from the council. And considering the fortune spent on the M8/M74 completion...

[CabinCrewe]

The largest section of which was outwith Glasgow City in South Lanarkshire and as I understand it came under budget.
The funding was shared with three Scottish Councils and Transport Scotland.

[inOban]

Considering these roads are part of the Primary Trunk Road network, I would have thought that most of the money would have been from TS. Except possibly for work on eg the road which parallels the M8 between Newhouse and Bailleston.

[SWBKCB]

Originally Posted by SWBKCB

A bias towards the capital city when it comes to spending on public transport infrastructure?

Surely not...

Apologies, I was trying to suggest that it was an odd question for somebody from the south east of England to be asking, rather then a comment on Scottish goings on.

[Rob Royston]

Originally Posted by willy wombat

Going back to the rail link issue, I normally fly into and out off EDI but last summer I had an evening flight from GLA. I had been warned the M8 would be busy so left plenty time but I was amazed at how congested the M8 was and would agree with the view that some sort of rail link, probably light rail, is needed. As an émigré Scot living in SE England who has connections with both the East and the West Coast, I have no axe to grind (other than wanting to be able to use both EDI and GLA with ease) but it does seem to me odd that Edinburgh can massively overspend on half a tram system (and now be talking about building the other half) whereas Glasgow can't get a (light) rail link to the airport. Is there a bias in favour of Edinburgh as it's where the MSPs hang out?

Unless Glasgow can sort out it's town centre lack of links between bus and train termini, building a new railway that terminates at Central Station is not going to be attractive to luggage laden travellers.
Scotland has an abundance of green electricity. Electric powered taxis should have a fast way route reserved for them to the airport and rail mounted chargers could be plugged into as they wait at the airport rank. Electric taxis from outwith Renfrewshire that have bought a permit should be allowed to use this rank that would be built into the airport.

[edi_local]

Originally Posted by willy wombat

Going back to the rail link issue, I normally fly into and out off EDI but last summer I had an evening flight from GLA. I had been warned the M8 would be busy so left plenty time but I was amazed at how congested the M8 was and would agree with the view that some sort of rail link, probably light rail, is needed. As an émigré Scot living in SE England who has connections with both the East and the West Coast, I have no axe to grind (other than wanting to be able to use both EDI and GLA with ease) but it does seem to me odd that Edinburgh can massively overspend on half a tram system (and now be talking about building the other half) whereas Glasgow can't get a (light) rail link to the airport. Is there a bias in favour of Edinburgh as it's where the MSPs hang out?

The current party in power were also a minority at the time the Trams were being decided upon. They were against any new transport in the big cities and wanted to upgrade the A9 to Inverness much earlier to try and spread the money and infrastructure improvements around the country. The A9 project is of course now well underway, albeit delayed. They were out voted and Edinburgh ended up with the trams. GLA does need a rail link in some form. Personally I think the light rail idea is probably the best way to go and like Edinburgh have a link to the mainline railway a short distance away. Edinburgh has 2 links to 2 mainline connections only 3 tram stops apart, with Edinburgh Gateway linking to line going North to Fife/Aberdeen/Dundee and Edinburgh Park linking to the Glasgow/Stirling/Perth trains. As for transport bias, not sure that is reflected in reality. Edinburgh may have a new tram network, but it had nothing before. Glasgow already has a huge suburban railway network and underground, both of which have seen investment in recent years and at the moment Glasgow Queen Street is also undergoing a major overhaul.